We opened it to break down into smaller containers, it appears to be separated latex paint although its strange they stored it that way. We are going to portion it down into small cans and take it to the wastemobile. Emergency diverted!

Are you absolutely certain it's paint? I wouldn't take a chance, take a sample to your local fire department, without an MSDS sheet you really can't be sure. Why bury a drum of harmless paint? Be careful.

MFatt did not say it was buried, just that they found it.

I agree with being cautious though, but the fire dept. will not be able to help identify it. They do not have a lab.

If it looks like paint and smells like paint, it's probably paint. Is it white or colored?

As a hazardous waste specialist, I know a mystery drum could be *anything*, but in a non-industrial situation, the simplest solution is usually the right one.

Paint can be donated if it's still good. Habitat for Humanity for example.

If it's not usable, one way to dispose is to let it dry to a solid and then throw into the trash. This is allowed and recommended for residential trash customers. You'd have to separate into smaller containers and let it sit somewhere to dry out. It's much better to reuse it though if it's in good shape.

I doubt its reusable but its definitely paint. We called the waste mobile and they said we could potentially recycle if we figured out how to mix it. It also wasn't buried as mug as hidden under a 6 year sticker bush heap. It's whitish but separated so it could be a deeper once mixed. I'll call Habitat and see if they are interested. Thanks!